Home appliance



p 1961 E. A. BAlLLlF ETAL 2,999,372

HOME APPLIANCE I Filed May 13, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 4f wi 9 w g p 1961 E. A. BAlLLlF ET AL 2,999,372

HOME APPLIANCE Filed May 15, 1959 i: l J1 i3 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 12, 1961 E. A. BAlLLlF ETAL 2,999,372

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6AM WATER VALVE WATER VALVE Ac TUATED sw/ru/ (Mo) SOLENOID 7 ra -5 74 6AM ACTUATED h zvezzas/ fiznesi (Z. fi/aa 4% W (fin/gig? 2,999,372 HOME APPLIANCE Ernest A. Baillif, Evansville, Ind, and Robert W. Fink,

Benton Harbor, Mich., assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 13, 1959, Ser. No. 812,996 1Claim. (Cl. 62-353) This invention relates to an ice maker and in particular to means for making ice bodies in a refrigerator device.

The principal feature of the instant invention is the provision of a new and improved ice making apparatus arranged for simplified installation in a refrigerator cabi net.

A further feature is the provision of such ice making apparatus arranged to be readily installed within the cabinet and having an ice forming member or mold in heat transfer association with a refrigerant tube extending to within the cabinet.

Still another feature is the provision of such ice making apparatus arranged for alternative provision or omission of an ice making apparatus within a refrigerator cabinet.

Other features and advantages will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevation of an ice body maker embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken approximately along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately along the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit thereof.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawings an ice maker, generally designated 10, is installed in a cabinet portion 11 defining a refrigerator chamber 12. Cabinet portion 11 includes an inner wall 13, an outer wall 14- and intermediate insulation 15.

Ice maker 16 includes a molding and ejecting mechanism 16 disposed within chamber 12, a drive motor 17 disposed within a recess 18 in cabinet portion 11, and an insulating connection 19 between mechanism 16 and motor 17 extending through an insulating insert 2&1 covering the recess. Mechanism 16 is arranged to be preassembled and installed in chamber 12 from the inside of inner wall 13. The mechanism 16 is mounted on insert 20 which is secured to inner wall 13 by suitable means such as screws 21. An evaporator tube 22 ex tends through cabinet portion 11 into chamber 12 and is provided at its inner end with a coiled portion 23 arranged to engage a mold 2 of mechanism 16 in heat transfer relationship therewith. Water delivered to mold 24 is frozen into a frusto-conical ice body 25 therein by the refrigerating effect of evaporator coil 23. Upon completion of the freezing operation, the ice body is ejected from the mold by ejector apparatus generally designated 26 comprising a portion of mechanism 16. As best seen in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, suitable controls are associated with motor 17 for effecting operation of mechanism 16 to form seriatim ice bodies 25 in mold 24 and eject them forcibly to a suitable adjacent storage space 27. Thus, ice maker 14 is generally similar to the ice maker of copending Fink application Serial No. 609,623, owned by the common assignee.

More specifically, mechanism 16 comprises a U-shaped metal frame 29 in which is carried a pair of spaced bushings 3i journalling a cam shaft 31. Frame 29 is provided with a rearwardly and downwardly extending plate 32 at the lower end of which is carried a pair of spaced, downwardly-opening U-shaped ears 33. A hammer 34 rates Patent having oppositely extending shaft elements 35 pivotally received in ears 33 is provided with a. button portion 36 arranged to strike a plunger 37 having an enlarged portion 38 vertically reciprocable in a cylindrical bore 39 extending downwardly from the frusto-conical cavity 40 of mold 24. A cam 41 is secured to cam shaft 31 for peripheral engagement by a cylindrical cam follower 42 extending from one side of hammer 34-. A coil spring 43 is secured at one end to an eye bolt 45 secured to frame plate 32. Spring 43 is preferably relatively strong so that when cam 41 rotates to the position wherein a sharply inturned portion 46 thereof confronts cam follower 42, the hammer 34 is drawn by the spring 43 quickly and forcibly upwardly to strike plunger 37. This urges enlarged portion 38 thereof upwardly through cylindrical bore 39 and into frusto-conical cavity 46 thereby forcibly ejecting ice body 25 upwardly from the cavity. A return spring (not shown) causes plunger 37 to reseat immediately after ice ejection.

As best seen in FIGURES l and 2, mechanism 16 further includes a control arm 47 which is secured to a pin 75 mounted in a pair of bearing blocks 76 carried by a support portion 48 of the frame 29. At its outer end, control arm 47 is provided with a knob 49', and the inner end 50 of the control arm is bent downwardly and provided with a cam follower 51 arranged to be engaged by a cam 52 fixed on cam shaft 31. Cam 52 is arranged to pivot control arm 47 in support 48 permitting knob 49 to be lowered by gravity subsequent to the ejection of an ice body 25 from mold 2 4. Cam follower 51 is provided with a second downwardly extending portion 53 carrying a mercury switch 54 which closes when arm 47 is pivoted so that knob 49 moves to below a predetermined level. Should the quantity of ice bodies in space 27 be insufficient to preclude movement of knob 49 to below this level, switch 54 serves to maintain energization of motor 17 and cause cam 52 to restore control arm 47 to the rest position of FIGURE 1.

Motor 17 drives through a conventional speed reduction drive 55 to an output shaft 56 aligned coaxially end-to-end with cam shaft 31. The insulating coupling 19 is pinned to output shaft 56 and non-rotatively fitted on the end of shaft 31 to connect the shafts for concurrent rotation. Drive 55 supports motor 17 and, in turn, is carried by a generally tubular support 53 having its outer end secured by means such as screws 59' to frame 29 and provided with an annular flange 60 at its rear end to which drive 55 is secured by suitable means such as screws 61. An insulating tubular member 62 is mounted concentrically on support 58 to have a snug fit with an opening 63 in the inner metallic wall 64 of insert 20. Wall 64 is dish-shaped and is internally filled with insulation 65 thereby insulating recess 18 and motor 17 therein from the refrigerator chamber 12. As coupling 19 is insulative, heat transfer between mechanism 16 and motor 17 is effectively precluded.

As discussed briefly above, mechanism 16 and motor 17 are arranged to be installed when desired from within chamber 12. In those units where ice body making is not desired, recess 18 may merely be insulatingly closed. To install mechanism 16 and motor 17, it is merely necessary to secure insert 20 to inner wall 13 with motor 17 disposed in opened recess 18 and mechanism 16 disposed within chamber 12. A suitable water supply line 66 is provided terminating above cavity 40 of mold 2 3. Coil portion 23 of evaporator tube 22 is clamped around mold 24 in a complementary groove 67 in the outer surface of the mold to complete the installation.

The operation of ice maker 10 is best seen by reference to the schematic electrical diagram of FIGURE 4. Power is supplied from electrical leads L1 and L2. When the freezing of ice body 25 in mold cavity 40 is comt 3 pleted, a single pole, single throw, normally open thermostat switch 68 in thermal contact with mold 24 closes. Assuming that insuflicient ice bodies are in space 27 to preclude the closing of switch 54, a circuit is completed from lead L1 through series-connected switches 68 and 54, through a reset heater 69, to one side of motor 17. The other side of motor 17 is connected, to lead L2 to complete the circuit. Energization of motor 17 effects rotation of cam shaft 3 1. Shortly after rotation is initiated, a single pole, single throw, normally open holding switch 70 in recess 18 is closed by a cam 71 on shaft 56 to provide a holding circuit around switches 68 and 54; Continued rotation of shaft 31 causes cam 41 to operate hammer 34 and eject the ice body 25 from mold 24. Cam 52 then effects the downward movement of knob 49 on control arm 47 to detect the level of ice bodies in storage space 27. Assuming that the level thereof is not above the predetermined level, continued operation of motor 17 is effected to return the control arm to the substantially horizontal rest position. Thus, switch 54 remains closed to permit initiation of a subsequent cycle. Continued rotation of shaft 31 causes another cam 72 on shaft 56 in recess 18 to close a single pole, single throw, normally open switch 73 connected in series with a valve solenoid 74 to effect delivery of water through water supply line 66 to cavity 40 of the mold Z4. During this operation, reset heater 69 effects a warming of thermostat switch 68 to assure that it will be open before holding switch 70 is opened by cam 71 subsequent to the delivery of the Water slug to cavity 40. Thus, as both switches 68 and 70 are open, further operation of motor 17 is prevented until such time as a new ice body 25 forms in mold 24. The above described cycle of operation is repeated until such time as sufficient ice bodies are stored in space 27 to maintain switch 54 open,

V 4 thereby preventing further operation of the ice maker until the level of the ice bodies is lowered, as by withdrawing all or a portion of the ice bodies from space 27.

While we have shown and described one embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claim.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

In a refrigerator means: means defining a chamber having a recess in said chamber defining means; means providing refrigerant to a point adjacent said chamber defining means; an ice making apparatus including a peripherally grooved mold, said apparatus including a first portion receivable in said recess, a second portion including said mold receivable in said chamber and a third portion securing said ice making apparatus on the chamber defining means and insulatingly closing said recess; and a conduit extending from said refrigerant providing means at said point into fitted encircling relationship with said mold in the grooves thereof,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,965,901 Lindsey July 10, 1934 2,145,773 Muflly Jan. 31, 1939 2,259,066 Gaston Oct. 14, 1941 2,523,956 Kleist Sept. 26, 1950 2,726,516 Bayston Dec. 13, 1955 2,770,102 Roedter Nov. 13, 1956 2,808,707 Chace Oct. 8, 1957 2,930,203 Koch Mar. 29, 1960 

